By Thomas D. Begley, Jr., CELA A Virginia State Bar Association appointed a study committee on the future of the practice of law. Perhaps New Jersey should do the same. A draft copy of the final report is interesting reading. The committee identified a number of external forces\u00a0affecting the practice of law:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Advances in technology;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Increasing competition from non-lawyers;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Generational pressures as Baby Boomers begin to transition to Millennials;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Client dissatisfaction with the billable hour;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Increased in-sourcing of legal services by corporate clients; and<\/p>\n
\u2022 Accelerated globalization of legal services.<\/p>\n
Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n Serious efforts are now underway to develop artificial intelligence for computers. IBM’s Watson, a computer with artificial intelligence, is a well-known example. Any information-intensive industry, including the legal profession, is ripe for Watson’s talents. IBM began moving into the legal marketplace in 2015. The son of Watson was called “Ross, the super intelligent attorney.” Ross can predict the outcome of court cases, assess (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Thomas D. Begley, Jr., CELA A Virginia State Bar Association appointed a study committee on the future of the practice of law. Perhaps New Jersey should do the same. A draft copy of the final report is interesting reading.…<\/span><\/p>\n